Google Chrome is the most popular and widely used web browser in today’s time and rightfully so. One of the main reasons for this is its extensibility. Chrome has a wide range of extensions that can be used within the browser – that offer valuable functionality for various tasks. There is a wide range of extensions tailored for the needs of web designers as well. These extensions significantly enhance the UI/UX design process by streamlining and improving efficiency.
Although there are a bunch of other extensions available for purposes similar to those listed below, we have conducted thorough testing on each of these categories and identified the most effective and user-friendly options. These extensions have exhibited outstanding performance and ease-of-use, making them ideal choices for UI/UX designers seeking to optimize their design workflows.
So, here is a list of eleven must-have Chrome extensions that we use at NetBluez have added to our web designer toolkit, and you should too!
1. Pick Colors from a Website – Eyedropper:
With Eyedropper, you can easily pick colors from any webpage or graphic element by clicking on it with the eyedropper tool. All you need to do is hover over any element on a webpage and click to select the color. The extension will then display the selected color’s hexadecimal code, RGB values, and even copy it to your clipboard for easy use. This tool is particularly useful for a UI designer to get color inspiration, match elements with existing color schemes, or extract specific colors from designs or images. It simplifies the process of gathering and working with colors, ultimately aiding in creating cohesive and visually appealing user interface designs.
2. Identify Fonts on Website – WhatFont:
WhatFont Chrome extension is a useful tool for designers that helps them identify and inspect the fonts used on a webpage. By simply hovering over the text, the WhatFont extension reveals details about the font, including its name, size, line height, color, and more. This extension is especially helpful for designers who are looking to identify specific fonts used on a webpage or gather inspiration for their own designs. It eliminates the need to manually inspect the code or go through complex processes to identify fonts. Designers can quickly and easily identify fonts and gather information to use in their own projects.
3. Know Website’s Technology Stack – Wappalyzer:
This browser extension helps you uncover the technologies and tools used by websites you visit. It provides valuable insights into the technology stack and infrastructure behind a website, including the content management system (CMS), programming languages, web frameworks, server software, analytics tools, and much more. This information helps designers understand the technical foundation of a website, and allow them to make informed design decisions that align with the underlying technology.
4. Extract CSS Styles from Website – CSS Peeper:
CSS Peeper allows you to inspect and extract CSS styles from any website. All you need to do is hover over any element on a website and you instantly get all its associated CSS properties. This makes it incredibly useful for understanding the design choices and techniques employed by other website designers, providing inspiration and insight for that you can apply to your own. Additionally, CSS Peeper also lets you export and download the extracted CSS styles, enabling you to easily apply similar styles to your own projects as well. This extension greatly simplifies the process of exploring, analyzing, and utilizing CSS styles, making it a valuable asset for UI/UX designers.
5. Measure & Position Elements – Page Ruler Smart:
This extension assists web designers in measuring and inspecting elements on a webpage. It enables designers to accurately measure the dimensions, margins, padding, and positions of various elements and components within a webpage. With Page Ruler Smart, designers can easily draw a ruler overlay on top of the webpage, allowing them to precisely measure the width, height, and distances between different elements. This eliminates the need for manual measurements or approximations, providing accurate measurements for design and layout planning. Additionally, Page Ruler Smart offers a pixel-perfect positioning feature, enabling designers to align and position elements with utmost precision. This helps to efficiently create visually appealing and well-structured web pages that offer a good user experience.
6. Extract SVG Files from Website – SVG Grabber:
SVG Grabber is a valuable tool for designers who need access to high-quality, scalable graphics for their projects. With this extension, you can easily inspect web pages, identify SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) elements, and extract them to use for your own design projects. All you need to do is click on an SVG element on a web page and the extension instantly generates the corresponding SVG code. It also offers the option to customize the exported SVG code by removing unnecessary attributes or optimizing the code for better performance. This is particularly useful for designers who want to analyze and reuse SVG icons, logos, or illustrations found on other websites.
7. Generate Placeholder Text – Lorem Ipsum Generator:
The Lorem Ipsum Generator is a must-have Chrome extension for UI/UX designers to easily generate placeholder text during the design process. By generating random lorem ipsum text with variable length and formatting options, this extension assists designers in maintaining the flow and structure of their designs before actual content is available. This way you can focus more on the visual aspects of the UI UX design while ensuring proper text placement and alignment.
8. Test for Responsive Design – Responsively:
This valuable extension assists designers in responsive design by simulating multiple devices and screen sizes in a single browser window. Designers can preview and test their websites or web applications across different devices such as smartphones, tablets, and desktops. It also lets you simulate touch events and gestures for mobile and tablet devices to test interactions and understand how your designs respond to user behavior. Additionally, Responsively facilitates real-time inspection and debugging of layout issues – this helps to identify and address design issues early on, hence simplifying the testing phase for designers and ensuring a seamless and optimized user experience regardless of the device being used.
9. Identify Accessibility Issues – WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool):
WAVE is a widely used tool that helps designers identify and address accessibility issues on web pages. It provides a visual representation of your web page’s accessibility evaluation directly within the browser. This way you can easily identify and address a wide range of accessibility issues, including missing alternative text for images, improper heading structure, color contrast violations, and more. The extension also offers in-depth reports and suggestions for improving accessibility based on WCAG 2.1 guidelines. If you prioritize accessibility and inclusivity in design like we do at NetBluez – this is an incredibly valuable tool for you.
10. Get Inspired! – Muzli 2:
Muzli 2 is an indispensable Chrome extension for UI/UX designers who want to stay updated with the latest design trends, discover innovative ideas, and explore new techniques to enhance their own design skills. It provides you with a curated collection of design inspiration, news, and resources – allowing you to access a wealth of design-related content without having to leave your browser. The content can be customized and personalized based on your specific interests. Having this extension added to your browser guarantees you a constant source of design inspiration, helping you expand your creative boundaries so you can stay ahead in the rapidly evolving design landscape.
